The newest member of the family, Hannah Kimber Arnett.
After Sam passed away, a good friend of mine wanted me to get another dog. I thought I’d try but my heart was still with my best friend Samson. I found a breeder about a hundred miles away who was selling a litter of German Shepherds.
After a long drive, I was greeted at the door by the mother and the father of the puppies, who were all over me like long, lost friends. I knew I was at the right place when the puppies swarmed me.
One puppy in particular latched onto me the whole time, a female. I already had given some thought to switching it up and getting a female this time, so choosing the one who chose me was the right decision (that’s always the right decision).
I named her, “Hannah Kimber Arnett,” her middle name given in honor of my friend who pushed me to get another dog, just a week after Sam died. I chose Hannah because it’s the name of the mother of the prophet Samuel – who anointed king David. Maybe my Hannah would mother great puppies too, one day?
On the hundred mile drive home, Hannah didn’t cry a bit, she was happy to get reassuring belly rubs in the passenger seat. Everything was new to her and she was excited about the change of scenery.
Once she discovered her new home wasn’t an apartment but we have a yard and a pool, and a tile floor, I thought she would realize that she was the lucky one with the opportunity to have a great life of adventure like Sam. And she will, when she’s grown.
Sam was house broken in a minute. I showed him what patch of dirt he could pee in, told him it was good and he was all set. Hannah took a bit longer than any dog I’ve ever house broken.
I made a mistake by laying out pee pads for the puppy. They confused her into thinking it was okay to pee inside, on all things soft like rugs, blankets and beds.
It took a long time to retrain her from that bad habit. That was the first and last time I’d ever use pee pads. They just confuse puppies. Hard lesson learned.
Hannah found Sam’s grave immediately and she laid down at the foot of his grave every time I took her out to the front courtyard. I think she knew he was there. Dogs can smell into graves, which is how cadaver search dogs locate buried bodies.
That’s when I decided to build the seating for having my breakfast tea next to Sam’s grave to enjoy the sunrise together like we had done for years, but now with Hannah.
Over the past year, Hannah has grown nearly full-size but she still has some more to grow.
Where Sam was quick to learn and seek approval, Hannah is different. She’s a daddy’s girl. She is my shadow, always at my feet and always laying her head on me. When she is laying anywhere else, her eyes never depart from me and what I’m doing. I have no idea why I’m so interesting to her.
While I was struggling to house break her, I won’t lie, I was nearly done with her until the day I put her outside and left her there all day in the cold with her dishes outside with her. She was going to be an outside dog. Suddenly, she was house broken! No more messing in the house. Go figure.
I knew throughout that ordeal that she had the potential to become a great dog and she hasn’t disappointed. She loves people too, she’s only aggressive to get their attention then she melts when the pet her.
But at home, she’s a killer. No one gets near the house without being confronted with fury. It’s her territory and she will fiercely defend it.
She’s not big enough yet to tangle with more than one coyote like Sam could. He was a beast but Hannah will continue growing into a very formidable and big girl. But now, she’s still a daddy’s girl. I hope she never grows out of that.
Hannah Kimber Arnett is the newest member of this Arizona family.